Thailand and Thai Culture
- ericaknebel
- Mar 2
- 9 min read
Thailand, a country located in the center of Southeast Asia, can be broken up into four different sections: North, NorthEast (Isan), Central, and South (Southern Peninsula). The North is generally known for its abundance of elephants and temples, the NorthEast with rolling hills and spicy food dishes, Central with the skyscrapers and bustling city atmosphere, and lastly the South with sandy beaches and glistening blue water
To learn more about Thailand and Thai culture, keep scrolling:
Quick Facts
Common Language Spoke:
Thai
Common Religion:
Buddhism (more than 92% of the country are Buddhist)
In almost every settlement, there is at least one temple/monastery (wat), home to monks oftentimes wearing their distinctive yellow robes
Buddhist Monk
Common Mode of Transportation:
Car, Motorbike, or TukTuk (three wheeled open-aired vehicle)
Common Motorbike
Popular Sports:
Muay Thai: traditional martial art of Thai boxing, also Thailand’s national sport
Takraw: traditional game in which participants attempt to keep a woven rattan ball from touching the ground without using their hands
Popular Landmarks:
Ayutthaya Historical Park
Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya Doi Inthanon National Park
Doi Inthanon National Park Wat Rong Khun White Temple
Wat Rong Khun White Temple
Immigration
Compared to other Asian ethnic groups, Thai immigration to the United States is relatively recent, with the first wave of Thai migrants arriving in the 1950's
Many Thai immigrants in the U.S. are considered "economic immigrants" and not refugees due to coming to the U.S. seeking new opportunities and generally having lower educational attainment or a lower skilled workforce because of lack of english language proficiency. Due to this, the Thai immigrant population in the U.S. are often not eligible for public benefits and many times lack resources to turn to for help when in need
Education
Education in Thailand is largely a government responsibility provided through the ministry of education
Education system consists of: Primary Education, Middle Education, Secondary Education, then potentially Tertiary education
Thai education system often follows the "No Fail Policy" where teachers are forced to pass children regardless of their grade on assignment or test
There is a strong emphasis on familial connections in Thailand, and career paths are often determined by a parent's business connections. For example, Thai males often go into the business of their father
Important Holidays
Visakha Puja
Festival celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha
Will be celebrated May 12th, 2025 but will change every year
A day of giving added attention to religious practices, such as meditation
Songkran
April 13th-15, 2025 (date may change slightly each year)
Traditional Thai New Year
Biggest national public holiday generally celebrated as a water festival. Water symbolizes purification and the cleansing of sins that a person may have accumulated over the previous year. By washing them away, it allows people to prepare for a fresh start for the current year
Loy Krathong
Otherwise known as the "festival of lights"
Celebrated on the full moon night of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar
Where Thais float lanterns or decorated and candlelit baskets (krathong) on rivers and lakes to honor the goddess of water
Krathong: decorated and candlelit basket
Cultural Practices
Considered offensive to sit on a chair with one's legs crossed, especially in the presence of an elder
The right hand is used to pass or receive items. Sometimes, both hands are used, but it is taboo to use only ones left hand
The soles of one's feet should never be pointed at another person. One should sit in a way that avoids this
The top of the head is considered to be the most important part of the human body. To touch someone on the top of their head is considered to be rude and insensitive
Food
Thai meal typically includes a blend of spicy, mild, sweet, and sour dishes
Among the most popular Thai dishes are curries made with coconut milk, shrimp paste, garlic, chili peppers, and seasonings such as coriander, lemongrass, galangal, and Kaffir lime leaves
Use fish sauce as a basic ingredient for many dishes
Food often served family style
Thai Food Served Family Style
Community
Popular Movies
Suriyothai (2001): story of a 16th-century warrior queen named Suriyothai
Naresuan (2006): recounts the life of King Naresuan of late 16th- and early 17th-century Ayutthaya
Fah talai jone (2000; Tears of the Black Tiger)": story of an outlaw, which parodies other Thai as well as Western action films
Sud sanaeha (2002; Blissfully Yours): centers on the love between Roong, a Thai girl working in a factory, and Min, a Burmese illegal immigrant
Popular Music
Phlaeng Luk Thung (“songs of the children of the fields”): a type of Thai “country music”, originated in rural central Thailand
Lamwong (“circle dance”): the most popular form of dance at rural temple festivals and other celebrations
"Do-Ther-Tum (Doo Doo Doo)" by Job 2 do
"I JUST WANNA PEN FAN YOU DAI BOR?" by Singto Numchok
Popular Celebrities
Lalisa (Lisa) Manobal: actress and singer from BLACKPINK
Kunpimook Bhuwakul (BamBam) from Got7: rapper and singer
Mario Mauer: actor
Mental Health Approach
Historically
Mental Illness commonly seen through a religious lens and tends to rely on Buddhism. Viewed as the fault of mystical forces, divine intervention, or unseen supernatural influences that may be caused by karmic repercussions for sins committed in past lives
In general, Thais tend to have a harmonious and calm demeanor, and try to avoid any excessive display of negative emotion or outbursts
In terms of mental health treatment, older Thai men and women tend to prefer to see monks, fortune tellers, palm readers, face readers, tarot cards or birthday number analysis experts
Family Dynamics
General structure of Thai families tend to be patriarchal, with the head of the household often being the oldest living man
Most Thai families tend to have a multigenerational home, with grandparents, aunts, and older siblings helping to raise the children. It is common for Thais to live in the home of their parents until they are married, or in some cases until they have children of their own
High level of respect for parents and elders in Thai culture. Thai children expected to look after parents in old age
Relationship Dynamics
Thai adults tend to have general freedom in a sense of choosing marriage partners, although the choice of a spouse may be influenced by the family
Public displays of affection between couples, such as holding hands or kissing, are generally not shown. Physical contact between same gender is generally acceptable, but is usually minimal
Communication
Remain cool, calm and collected when interacting with someone from Thai culture. Losing "face" is a common avoidance in Thailand and Thais are often soft-spoken, so try to avoid unpleasant emotions such as raised voices, anger, worry, stress and other heated emotions when working with someone from this culture
Discussing one's occupation is considered to be a good icebreaker. A welcomed topic of discussion is one’s occupation in Thai culture, while topics such as income, standard of living or things that would often be considered personal in America should be discussed with sensitivity, as they are not always welcomed in discussion
A way of showing gratitude can be showed through reciprocating favors or good deeds. This can help build trust between yourself and the Thai student
Avoid directly criticizing people. Thais generally avoid any negative comment and replace or preface it with an apologetic statement, (i.e. ‘I don’t mean to be rude, but…’).
Thais tend to have an indirect communication style, and often smile or nod throughout conversation. Although, this does not necessarily mean they agree or understand what you are saying, and may just be an attempt at being polite or keeping peace while your relationship is still forming
While humor can be used in a typical way, it can sometimes be a way of a Thai person "saving face" and be used as a coping way of covering emotions of sadness when discussing something tragic or a difficult situation. Thais are also known to smile often, which can indicate happiness but may also be used as a way of covering sadness or awkwardness
Swearing is generally not used in casual conversation and is considered to be rude
The general distance between two people conversing is an arm’s length. When talking with a friend or close acquaintance, the distance can be a bit shorter
Thais generally do not use their hands to emphasize their point in conversation. Overly dramatic gestures or frequent and rapid gestures may be misinterpreted as anger. Pointing with a single finger is considered to be rude and accusatory
Eye contact can show attentiveness to the person talking, although direct eye contact should be occasionally lowered to soften the interaction, as intense eye contact can be viewed as a challenge to the other person
In a Broader Context: Southeast Asian Culture - Historically
As most Thais follow Buddhism, there is heavy emphasis on the acceptance of losses and suffering, as well as little expectation for bettering times during one's lifetime. It is viewed as an occurrence of fate or karma, and generally encouraged not to complain or blame others and to work hard to try and express an optimistic attitude
Oftentimes in Southeast Asian cultures, women are traditionally seen as inferior to men. Men are highly valued in Asian cultures; they are expected to financially support or control the family, whereas women are expected to be subservient, obedient, and quiet
In general, sexuality is considered a taboo topic for discussion in Asian culture
When sexual assault occurs to southeast asian women, it is common for them to blame themselves and rarely seek help related to the assault. In this culture, rape is commonly viewed as a personal violation resulting in the loss of self-respect that can bring dishonor to the family. This leads to women oftentimes keeping it a secret and avoid speaking about it to avoid any potential social or cultural implications
Identity confusion is often common within southeast asian students, as these students are living and thinking in two languages (i.e. one at home and one at school). Additionally, due to these students oftentimes having to serve as interpreters for their family, the roles of authority, power, and respect may become confused and cause extra pressure on the student
Southeast Asian Culture - Approach/Response
Research has shown that emphasizing familial resources and individual coping strategies has been helpful when working with a southeast asian student. Some examples of these individual coping strategies are improving language proficiency and focusing on the present and future, while attempting to avoid discussing the past. It is recommended to focus on the present and frame the future around optimism and hope
Given the stigma that may be associated with seeking mental health services in this culture, it is very important to build up a therapeutic relationship. During the initial assessment phase, the school counselor should not be in a hurry. They should also be aware of nonverbal communication and pay attention to the physical symptoms the client describes, as the physical symptoms may be easier for the student to discuss. For example, someone in this culture may describe depression as problems with eating, sleeping, feeling tired, irritable, and having headaches, backaches, or digestive problems. Additionally, when assessing these symptoms, make sure to use an assessment tool that is culturally relevant and culturally valid to the student
At the beginning stages of meeting with the student, it is important to acknowledge the basic needs first, such as assistance with food, clothing, finances, etc. Helping with this could mean recommending social and/or financial assistance through different programs within the school and community
Next, due to this culture most likely not being familiar with mental health services, it is important to spent time educating the student about the delivery of mental health services and what that means/looks like
Counselors should also make sure to reinforce the cultural values of the student during clinical interventions. For example, these students may continue to use traditional healing methods (e.g. indigenous healers, folk medicine). This can be viewed as complementary to psychological services rather than as an opposing method of treatment. Additionally, it is crucial to consider religious belief systems when working with a student within this culture. Several Buddhist concepts can be applied in treatment and can serve as protective factors for the student. Some examples of this would be using ancestral worshipping to help the student maintain contact with the past, as well as provide a sense of continuity of life. Or emphasizing the concept of karma when a student is feeling a personal sense of survivor guilt or shame. Lastly, one could emphasize the Buddhist prohibition against suicide when working with a student who is potentially suicidal
Due to the emphasis on familial roles and respect within the southeast asian culture, family-centered therapy may be beneficial
Local Resources and Organizations
References/Additional Information
https://www.scholaro.com/db/countries/thailand/education-system
https://www.thailandfoundation.or.th/culture_heritage/loy-krathong-festival-all-you-need-to-know/
Thongsalab, J. (2023). Thailand’s mental health system: From tradition to modernity. Journal of Healthcare Administration, 2(2), 218–227. https://doi.org/10.33546/joha.2866
Hsu, E. (2004). Understanding mental health needs of Southeast Asian refugees: Historical, cultural, and contextual challenges. Clinical Psychology Review, 24(2), 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2003.10.003
Halligan, K. M. (2011b). An examination of the no fail policy in Thailand and the effect on community relations. Language Testing in Asia, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.1186/2229-0443-1-2-79
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